DUBAI – Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince and de facto leader, Mohammed bin Salman (widely known as MBS), will not attend next week’s Group of Seven (G7) summit in Canada, according to a senior diplomat familiar with the matter, who spoke to Reuters on Thursday.
The diplomat stated that MBS provided no specific reason for declining the invitation to the annual summit, which will be held from June 15–17 in Kananaskis, located in the Canadian Rockies. While Saudi Arabia is not a G7 member, it has previously been invited as a guest participant.
The crown prince has kept a limited international travel schedule in recent years. He also declined to attend last year’s G7 meeting in Italy and postponed a visit to Japan due to concerns over the health of his father, King Salman.
Saudi Arabia’s government media office has not yet responded to a request for comment.
The Globe and Mail, which first reported MBS’s decision, suggested that his absence may ease internal tensions within Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberal Party, where some lawmakers had opposed the invitation due to Saudi Arabia’s human rights record—an issue for which the kingdom has faced sustained international criticism, though it continues to deny allegations of abuse.
Leaders from countries including Ukraine, Mexico, India, Australia, South Africa, South Korea, and Brazil are expected to attend parts of the summit. U.S. President Donald Trump is also confirmed to participate.
